By Margaret Hodson ’16, Perspectives Section Co-Editor
Modern culture changes faster than most can keep up. Thoroughly embedded in the ever-shifting entertainment industry, Gray Studios co-owners David and Shanelle Gray know this better than most. Mrs. Gray said, “We are constantly ever-changing to stay on top of the future.” For Gray Studios, staying current means opening a studio in the fledgling entertainment-hub of Cincinnati. LA is coming to the Queen City.
For the unacquainted, Gray Studios is an acting school offering a range of classes on skills including film and television audition technique, commercial improv, and cold reads. Started a decade ago in Los Angeles by Mrs. Shanelle Gray, the studio has grown to a nation-wide enterprise with over 500 students taking classes offered in Atlanta, Nashville, San Diego, Dallas, and Orange County. Cincinnati is the latest city to be tapped by Gray Studios, which has purchased a space downtown near Horseshoe Casino. Speaking of the recent proliferation of entertainment-industry opportunities in the Queen City, Mrs. Gray said, “I believe that Cincinnati is a huge hub for the arts. I believe that we have a lot to offer the young actors that want to book more in their own cities.”
Some opportunities in the realm of film and television have come due to House Bill 508, signed into law by Governor John Kasich in 2012. Although Ohio already had $10 million dollars in film tax credits to producers deciding to film in Cincinnati, the bill further increased the tax incentive in an attempt to draw even more producers to the Queen City. It has met with some success; Both Carol and Miles Ahead were filmed in Cincinnati over the past year. A new film called The Blunderer stars Jessica Biel and Patrick Wilson and will begin filming in Cincinnati on November 17th. Although the proliferation of local acting opportunities certainly played a factor in the studio’s decision to open a branch in Cincinnati, the rise of on-tape and Skype auditions played an equal if not greater role.
Internet-based technologies have been the key players actively changing the nature of the audition and Gray Studios’ subsequent sprawl outwards from LA. Previously, only actors and actresses based in Los Angeles could book jobs in the city. Technology has changed that practice. Mr. David Gray pointed out, “Now with the internet, actors can be here and be in Hollywood at the same time by self-taping.” Mrs. Gray noted that along with sending tapes to casting directors, actors and actresses can also use Skype to audition. CCDS drama instructor Mr. Mark Femia concurred: “I don’t think even Cincinnati people truly realize the level of talent that’s in the city and the great opportunities that are starting to roll in…because of the digital age we’re in, people can do so much more than they ever realized the could…They don’t have to be in New York or Los Angeles to be heard.” Because of technologies like Skype, actors and actresses have chances to book LA gigs even if they aren’t living in the City of Angels.
A final key factor in the move to Cincinnati is in the huge pool of untapped talent. Mr. Gray said, “I want to find this undiscovered talent. I want to train this undiscovered talent…I’ll go wherever there is passion for the craft.” Passion is very important to the owners of Gray Studios, who have found that students cannot be successful without real drive. Gray Studios found both untapped talent and dedication in the students of the CCDS Drama Department. Recognizing this exceptional talent, Gray Studios has decided to accept referrals from Country Day teacher Mr. Mark Femia. Speaking of this decision, Mr. David Gray said, “Somebody like Mark [Femia] is on the front lines of tomorrow’s talent. He knows who’s good and who has a desire and who has an undying passion for [acting]. Those are the kinds of people I want [referred] to me.” Gray Studios only accepts students through referrals by acting agents and managers, casting directors, or producers; this practice is one way they’ve obtained such a dedicated group of pupils known for their high success rates when it comes to booking jobs. Simply accepting referrals from Mr. Femia is not the extent of the Gray Studios-CCDS Drama Department partnership. It’s a new concept for both entities involved, and Mr. Femia noted, “We are truly kind of forming this parternship and the structure of it as we go.” One idea that has been proposed is a private “master class” for CCDS students taught by Gray Studios instructors. Whether or not this specific idea comes to fruition, Mr. Femia is very optimistic that the partnership will “benefit all the student first and foremost, whether it be for classes…or bringing [Gray Studios] instructors to CCD itself and creating some sort of acting environment.”
After students like those referred by Mr. Femia are accepted to the studio, they begin learning skills such as Gray Studios’ well-known audition technique. Co-owners David and Shanelle Gray, improv instructor Kenton Duty, and actress Ariel Winter visited Country Day on Friday to speak about this technique among others and celebrate the opening and offerings of the Cincinnati studio.
The event began with remarks about the studio’s distinct philosophy. It’s a philosophy that has been developed by Mr. and Mrs. Gray over a long period of time. Both have been immersed in the entertainment and acting industries from a young age. Mr. Gray attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York (the inspiration behind Fame) before starting an acting career on Broadway, film, and TV. Mrs. Shanelle Gray began acting at the age of 4, and by 7 had snagged the role of “Young Cosette” in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. In addition, she has extensive experience in the realms of both voice and television acting. Their collective experience has led to a firm belief in the importance of the audition. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gray noted that despite the immense talent of many actors, their chances at booking the job are foiled by audition-derived nerves. Oftentimes nerves are due to the difference between practicing in a classroom and actually performing at an audition. Mr. Gray noted, “I firmly believe you only really get better at acting by doing it.” For this reason, Gray Studio’s places a large focus upon practical skills such as training students to calm their nerves and prepare well for an audition. Mr. Gray believes a key part of preparation is “find[ing] interesting choices as actors…preparation doesn’t meant just learning your lines.” “Unique choices” was a phrase repeated by Mr. Gray numerous times, and it is indicative of his belief that actors need to find distinctive ways to connect with the material, the characters, and the writers. Another key skill taught by the acting school is that of improvisation. Those in attendance at the Country Day-hosted event got a taste when Mr. Gray called some students (prospective and current) to the front of the room to play a quick improv game called “Celebrity Paddle.”
The game required the actors and actresses to answer audience-generated questions through the viewpoint of a character such as Lindsay Lohan or Aladdin. According to David, the activity served as a “test [of] creative meddle” that forced those playing the game to “think on their feet.” For example, one young girl was assigned to play Jesus and then asked, “How do you deal with the haters?” It was not only pseudo-Jesus that answered this same question, but the four other actors assigned identities of Maleficent, Ursula, Katniss Everdeen, and a hammer. While young and aspiring actors took turns playing this game, improv instructor and former Shake It Up actor Kenton Duty worked to prepare two young actresses and students of Gray Studios for a cold read. They were given ten minutes with Kenton to study a script they’d never seen, and then performed the scene in front of the audience assembled at the event. Their performances were critiqued by David who offered advice and suggestions about how to improve the performance and make more unique choices.
Gray Studios places an emphasis on both cold reads and improvisation because they realize these two things are exceedingly common in the world of auditions. This was a sentiment echoed by Kenton Duty, an actor that has just officially signed onto the Gray Studios team as an improvisation instructor. In addition to teaching at Gray Studios, he is also writing two TV shows, filming, producing, acting, and singing. He has been acting since fourth grade, and is most well-known for his role as Gunther on Disney’s Shake It Up. He’s found that no matter how strong the audition, it is common for casting directors to give actors new lines, material, or instructions. Speaking of this practice, Mr. Duty noted, “The reason they do it is because they want to see if you can take direction. So that no matter what they say, you’re going to go for it and just jump head in with them.” In order to perform and take direction well despite the newness of a particular script or scene, improvisation is essential. Mr. Duty explained, “What are the strongest choices that are really going to add something to this scene? That’s one of the best things about improv–it teaches you where to find those choices. It allows you to think on your feet and be okay just going for it and not holding yourself back.”
Despite the many tips and tricks available to students of Gray Studios, in the end the most essential factor for success is a dedication to the craft. Speaking of students with passion, Mr. Gray noted, “That kind of desire comes from within. I can’t be more dedicated to someone’s career than they are. They have to be the driving force.” Mrs. Gray completely agrees with this sentiment, and noted, “It takes drive as well as talent.” If one thing’s for certain, it’s that students under the tutelage of Mr. Femia in the CCDS drama department have an abundance of both drive and talent. Mrs. Gray concurred, noting, “You already have some brilliant actors.” With the help of Gray Studios, both talented Country Day students and other actors in the Cincinnati area have the opportunity to build off their theater training with the “missing puzzle piece of movie-TV training.” Next time you watch a big Hollywood blockbuster, the star could be from right here in Cincinnati.
Photo by Cindy Kranz
